2019 Tammy Hall Breast Health Walk Recap

Nearly 270,000 women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year according to the American Cancer Society. With numbers projected at this alarming rate, let’s face it, could affect anyone in your family, your circle of friends, your co-workers, or even you. Since 2010, Windom Area Health Foundation has upheld the legacy of Tammy Hall and her mission to women in our community by continuing to organize a walk to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

The Tammy Hall Breast Health Walk was developed with three goals in mind:

1. To help community members in financial distress after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
2. Create awareness for the importance of your yearly mammogram around age 40.
3. To purchase advanced screening equipment for our hospital so screenings can be done close to home.

Since then, the Tammy Hall Breast Health Walk has raised over $150,500 and provided financial support for eleven women in financial need.

2019 Walk Participation Numbers

The ninth Tammy Hall Breast Health Walk hosted 110 paid registrants and around 90 walkers were present the day of the walk. Our decrease in numbers this year can be blamed on kind old Mother Nature, not cooperating and bringing in our first snowfall for the season on the morning of the walk. Never the less, it was a fun day for all who participated including shopping and socializing while supporting a great cause.

Sponsors

The success of our non-profit walk depends greatly on sponsorship support, whether by in-kind donation or sponsorship level payment. The Tammy Hall Breast Health Walk continues to see excellent sponsor support from our local businesses not only in Windom, but Lakefield and Mountain Lake. We cannot thank our local businesses enough for all the financial help and support they continue to provide us throughout the years.

Our 2019 sponsors include:

Another way local businesses get involved is by “Painting the Square Pink.” This year our walkers enjoyed the support from 17 decorated storefronts on the square. Each year a participating business is selected for their most festive storefront and presented with the pink flying pig trophy, a great conversation starter for the year. The 2019 winner of our traveling pink pig trophy went to Five Star Realty for their bling & bra’ed out storefront. The storefront consisted of pink pumpkins, strings of gems, and multiple hanging pink-themed bras, including one gifted to Kathy Woizeschke from a friend who lost her battle to breast cancer.

Volunteer Support

An event of this magnitude needs a lot of behind the scenes coordination, including a large group of volunteers. This year the walk was made up of 45 volunteers from Windom Area Health and Windom Area Health Foundation. Volunteer duties ranged from registration to pink merchandise sales to traffic control volunteers. This walk would not be as successful as it is without all of our volunteers, making sure the event flows and making it enjoyable by all! In addition, another big shout out to the Windom Fire Department, as each year they provide volunteers who participate and lead the start of the walk with their fire rig.

Funds Available for Community Members

The fund exists to help local women, and we want to make sure we are reaching those in need. Please help spread the word that there is financial help locally and available with the Windom Area Health Foundation. When you hear about a community member struggling with cancer, often you think of the emotional and physical toll it has on the individual and their family. What often is not as visual is the financial strain that ongoing treatments and travel puts on a family unit. Hospital bills, gas, hotel stays, eating out, deductibles; the list goes on as unexpected costs of these life-disrupting illnesses pile up.

The Breast Health Fund application is available online at https://windomareahealth.org/about-us/foundation-donations/ or can be mailed per request. (For mailed application requests, please contact Emily Masters at 507-831-0625.) Application forms and recipients are kept confidential, with the fund award being determined by the Foundation board typically within 1-2 weeks of a submitted application.

Continuing to Evolve to the Needs of our Communities

Windom Area Health is excited to announce we will be receiving 3D Mammography services starting January 6, 2020. 3D Mammography is made available by the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer mobile truck, two times per month, on Mondays from 9:30 am-2:00 pm. The mammo truck is equipped with waiting area, interview area, 2 dressing rooms and a mammo suite. For more information on 3D Mammography services, call Windom Area Health Scheduling Department at 831-0670. Self-referrals are welcome, per your insurance self-referral process.

Look for more information on 3D Mammography from our Imaging Manager, Val Wilkening in December!

Blog Written By: Emily Saffert, Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator